Free-to-air TV on cards if new NBL takes off

The National Basketball League could return to free-to-air television next season — if there is an elite men's competition at all in 2009-10.

Key players in Basketball Australia's reform process are understood to have held discussions with the Ten network about having NBL games shown on the broadcaster's dedicated sports channel, One HD.

The concept is viewed as a major boost for the league, which suffered a drop in popularity around the country once Channel 10 stopped showing matches almost a decade ago.

Although pay-TV provider Fox Sports has held the NBL rights in recent seasons, some of the competition's more powerful clubs believe their product isn't beamed into enough homes.

However, a new deal with Fox Sports, which included broadcasting every match live as part of a five-year, $30 million arrangement, was a sweetener from BA to convince NBL clubs to give away their control of the league to a new independent body last November.

Despite BA claims the arrangement would lead to a more commerciallyfriendly competition to tip off in October, the game's governing body has yet to release details of the new NBL.

A major issue that could hurt the Foxtel deal is the expectation that there will be no franchises from Sydney or Brisbane — two of the pay-TV provider's three biggest markets — in the new NBL.

According to Federal Government agency Screen Australia, only 27 per cent of Australian households subscribe to pay-TV.

But One HD is beamed only into Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Supporters of franchises in Cairns and Townsville would not be able to access the service.

The West Australian understands even if the Fox Sports deal goes through, replays of NBL matches could also be shown on One HD.

The digital station shows NBA matches, including the play-offs, live. One HD also beams the ANZ Championship netball competition.

NBL great Phil Smyth said last week the lack of free-to-air coverage was a big stumbling block in plans to revive the 30-year-old competition.

"There are two major factors in this," Smyth told the Adelaide Advertiser. "Private ownership in sports in Australia is not looked at favourably. The second component is losing freeto-air TV — that really hurt the game."

Meanwhile, new Perth Wildcats coach Rob Beveridge could begin signing players as early as next week although the structure of the revamped NBL has yet to be released.

Beveridge will make a short visit to Perth to discuss his recruiting process with Wildcats management. He will move west in June.

The former Sydney Spirit mentor, who has recently returned to Australia after working in the US and the Philippines, has plenty of work to do.

Perth have just three contracted players for the 2009-10 season, although the existing deals for Shawn Redhage, Brad Robbins and Stephen Weigh have yet to be ratified by BA. Some clubs have legal opinion the existing arrangements will be void in the new league. The contracts were signed under old NBL guidelines. BA expects to dissolve the NBL as an entity at the end of next month.